Presley Gerber Dies at 27 Amid Struggles With Addiction

Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old model and son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, has died at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office confirmed his death, with autopsy results pending. The cause of death was not immediately released, though initial reports indicated a cardiac arrest and overdose.

Gerber, who had openly discussed his struggles with addiction, checked into the facility on September 19 and died the following day. His death comes after years of battles with substance abuse, which he detailed in public statements and on social media.

Born into a life of privilege, Gerber enjoyed an idyllic upbringing in Malibu with his supermodel mother, nightlife mogul father, and younger sister, Kaia. He signed with IMG Models at 15 and quickly began walking runways for designers like Moschino and Dolce & Gabbana, even appearing alongside his mother in a Pepsi commercial remake in 2018.

However, behind the glamorous facade, Gerber faced significant personal challenges. His first public encounter with legal trouble occurred in December 2018 when he was arrested for driving under the influence. This was followed by a notable incident in February 2019 when he got the word "MISUNDERSTOOD" tattooed on his face, a move he later explained as a reflection of his lifelong feelings of not being understood.

In 2024, Gerber revealed the severity of his addiction, sharing that he had battled a decade-long opioid addiction and had suffered a near-fatal fentanyl overdose that resulted in a coma. He spoke candidly about his struggles with depression, panic attacks, and psychiatric care, detailing his use of medications and his search for treatment.

His sister, Kaia Gerber, who has become a highly successful model and actress in her own right, spoke about the impact of Presley's addiction on their family dynamics, noting it made her feel like "the easy one" and that she learned not to burden her parents with her own needs.

In an effort to confront his addiction, Presley traveled to Mexico in March for an ibogaine treatment, a psychedelic therapy not approved in the U.S. He described the experience as confronting what he had been running from and expressed hope it would be his last time needing such intervention. His family publicly supported his efforts, with Crawford calling him a "warrior" and Kaia expressing pride.

Despite these efforts, Gerber checked himself into a Santa Monica treatment facility weeks before his death. In a since-deleted Instagram video, he had expressed a need for direction, stating, "I need some direction." His public journey through addiction and recovery was marked by a departure from the typical privacy of his famous family, including a weekly Instagram series called "Mental Health Mondays."